Calendar of Events and Posts
Oct
2
Dateline Cahuita 1974
Posted by Editor | October 2, 2008 | Tags: Photo of the week | 1 Comment
These great pictures were sent to us by a reader planning her 2nd trip to the area — 34 years later!
How times and hairstyles have changed!
Oct
2
Caribe-Talamanca Mountain Bike Event
Posted by Editor | October 2, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar, Sports | Leave a Comment
| October 18, 2008 | ||
| 9:00 am |
The annual PROMOBIKE mountain bike event in Talamanca is coming soon!
Date: October 18, 2008.
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Cost: ¢ 5,000 colones and includes assistance, T-shirt, and a raffle.
Routes start and end at Comisariato Manuel León, Puerto Viejo.
Short Route: 36 kms, level 5-6, Puerto Vieje - Cocles - Margarita - Bribri - Hone Creek - Puerto Viejo
Long Route: 74 kms, level 7, Puerto Vieje - Cocles - Margarita - Bribri - Sixaola River - Bambu - Bratsi - Suretka - Uatsi - Bribri - Hone Creek - Puerto Viejo
For more information:
(506) 8383-8223
(506) 8389-5289
promobikecr@gmail.com
Oct
1
Some Good Road News!
Posted by Editor | October 1, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Government and Politics | 2 Comments
The good news below (my translation) comes to us from Rolando Soto, the president of our local tourism chamber of commerce (CATCAS) which has been working hard on a number of issues, including pressuring government to take action on our dangerous, dusty and bone-jarring road between Hone Creek and Puerto Viejo.
Finally JAPDEVA (Junta de Administración Portuaria y Desarrollo Económica de la Vertiente Atlántica or the Board of Port Administration and Economic Development for the Atlantic Coast) has made good on the offer they made 3 months ago to repair and pave 2 kilometers of the road between Puerto Viejo and Hone Creek. During the last 3 days, their equipment has been working to prepare the surface of the road for these 2 km that are between Hone Creek and approximately the Hotel Hawa. We will have to continue fighting to ensure that the remaining 4 km are paved and, in the short term, repaired.
The original in Spanish read:
Finalmente JAPDEVA cumplio con su ofrecimiento hecho hace tres meses de arreglar y asfaltar al menos dos kilometros de la carretera entre Hone Creek y Puerto Viejo. Hace 3 diss maquinaria de ese ente comenzo los trabajos de preparacion de la superficie a fin de posteriormente asfaltar esos 2 diolometros que estan entre Hone Creek y aproximadamente el Hotel Hawa.. Tendremos que seguir luchando para que el resto de este tramo de aprox. 4 kilometros tambien sea reparado en el corto plazo.
Thank you CATCAS for your hard work!
Sep
28
Talk about Globalization and Free Trade
Posted by Editor | September 28, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar | Leave a Comment
| October 3, 2008 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 12:00 pm |
The University of Costa Rica is hosting a discussion on the impacts of Globablization and Free Trade on our communities.
The event will be held Oct 3 at 10 a.m. at La Casa de la Cultura.
For more information contact Kioscos@accionsocial.ucr.ac.cr or telephone 2207-4361 or 2280-1841.
Source: Greencoast News: Charla sobre Globalización y Libre Comercio
Sep
24
Arte Viva Festival Cancelled at Last Minute
Posted by Editor | September 24, 2008 | Tags: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
This weekend’s planned Arte Viva Festival has had to be canceled after a court challenge left the municipality unable to issue permits for events.
The details aren’t clear and nor is when the event will be able to be rescheduled.
The festival is organized by Escuela de Artes del Caribe Sur (South Caribbean School of Arts), a nonprofit that provides arts education to local school children, and was scheduled to begin this Friday. Event organizer Claudio Ambroso said the festival is their major fundraiser and if they are not able to eventually hold the event, they will be hard pressed to provide services to their community this year.
Some of the restaurant and bar events which don’t require a permit will continue as planned, check directly with the venue to confirm. Eddie Ryan at La Costa de Papito said that the events planned at his hotel’s Que Rico Papito Restaurant and Bar including tonight’s Calypso Night will continue as planned.
Sources: Tico Times: Weekend’s Puerto Viejo festival canceled unexpectedly and local inquiries.
Sep
13
ArteViva Festival Starts Soon
Posted by Editor | September 13, 2008 | Tags: Entertainment | 1 Comment
The annual ArteViva Festival of music, art, food, sports and alternative medicine is coming again this year from Sept 26-28 with some pre-opening events starting as early as Wed Sept 24.
The event offically kicks off on Friday Sept 26 at 7pm at the Casa de la Cultura (see location on map) with fireworks, live music and an art exhibit. It continues through to Sunday’s closing event at 10pm at Stanford’s with live music. Other venues during the event include La Costa de Papito Hotel, Jacaranda Hotel, Jhonny’s Place, El Parquecito Restaurant and a main stage setup at the basketball court by the bus stop.
More information is available at www.arteviva-puertoviejo.com and a full schedule of events is available on the Greencoast News.
Sep
6
EasyStreet Music Fiesta Coming in October
Posted by Editor | September 6, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar, Entertainment | Leave a Comment
| October 24, 2008 | to | October 26, 2008 |
EasyStreet Productions is planning a three day music festival in Puerto Viejo from Oct 24-26.
The artists and type of music that will be presented at the festival include:
Kimany Marley, JasminKarma, Evolucion, KingoLovers, Mekatelyu, Electronic Music, Calypso, Jazz, Blues, Hip Hop, Soul, and more local and international bands playing.
There will be an accompany Art exhibition held at Ez-Times.
There will also be fireworks, fire dancers, various DJ’s, beach parties, kids park with activities, good food and good intentions.
Venues will include WoddRokk Bar, EZ-Times and Johnny’s Place. They will soon have a website with detailed event information.
One of the goals of the event is to raise funds to preserve biodiversity, and this will be done through Conservation International Group, which does research and projects for preserving nature in the Caribbean Area.
You can watch the video announcing the event (in Spanish) from the Teletica Channel 7 program “Espectaculos” on the Teletica website — after you download the video, go to 4:50 for the segment on EasyStreet.
If you’d like more information on the event, how you can support it or get involved, contact Paola Chaves at easystreetmusicfiesta@live.com.
Sep
2
Hone Creek - Puerto Viejo Road Dangerous for Your Lungs and Limbs
Posted by Editor | September 2, 2008 | Tags: Economic Development, Government and Politics, Health, Transport | Leave a Comment
 Kely, David, Nelson & Kenia Chaves travel 3 km each day to school in a cloud of dust . Photo by Mario Rojas, courtesy of La Nación. |
Anyone who has traveled the road between Hone Creek and Puerto Viejo knows what a danger it is: unpaved, huge potholes, full of dust, lacking in signage, shared by bicycles and cars and pedestrians with no separation between them. It has always been a strange exception in that the route between San Jose and Hone Creek is one of the better routes in the country, but those last 5 kilometers to Puerto Viejo remind you you’re still in the developing world.
Locals have been complaining to the municipality for years to get the road paved. The municipality always responded that they didn’t have the money to fix the road. Finally last year, the road was declared a national route by CONAVI, the national roads council.
But so far the Conavi designation hasn’t translated into a road up to standards. The minimum width of a nationally designated road is 20 meters. Darwin Mena, an engineer working with Conavi, said that this road at points is only half that and that the width is encroached upon at several points by buildings owned by the Municipality of Talamanca which need to be removed.
Neighbors complain that the many cars and buses traveling at high speeds are a daily risk to people on bicycles and on foot that are covered by clouds of dust. Not only does the narrow potholed road cause collisions, the clinic in Hone Creek reports that they treat at least 4 people each week who were hit by stones thrown up from the road.
At the Hone Creek clinic doctors have also reported another hazard of the road — increased cases of asthma. The cases have been reported by those who need to commute the road daily by bicycle, children who walk along the road to get to school and those living near the dusty road. The director of the clinic, Wilman Rojas said that 80% of those living on the edge of the road are suffering from respiratory problems.
Eddie Ryan of the Chamber of Tourism says “As inhabitants of this place, we feel completely abandoned. Puerto Viejo is a unique tourist destination and the need for repair of this road is urgent.”
Ryan stated that the road receives maintenance every six months, but weeks later is damaged again. “The grader scrapes the street and spreads the material, but when it rains you lose all the work.”
The engineer Mena said that the repair of the road could be done in two years. Funds are supposed to be budgeted for 2010 to execute the work.
More:
- La Nación:Ruta en Talamanca es peligrosa para viajeros
- La Nación: Polvo afecta salud de los habitantes
Aug
27
Jump on the Band Wagon
Posted by Editor | August 27, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar | 1 Comment
| September 2, 2008 |
They are doing it again. The band, to be named but known as “The John Wheatly Experience”, is heading to Bocas del Toro to play some gigs, snorkel, explore the islands, make a party, renew their passports, and in general have a ton of fun with you!
So, as you can see, a major part of the plan will crumble if you do not come. So they’re inviting you to join them. Who are they? The band includes members John, Marc, Eric, Kristy, Liam, and special guest Jim MacDougall.
They are doing this international tour/fiesta every three month as a fun way to get their passport stamps. You may have heard that people are now getting busted for having false stamps! So this is a great way to get legit.
Even if your passport may not be ready to renew just now, but if you go early with us this time, you will be in sync with them forever.
They’ve arranged a shuttle service that will pick everyone up in private vans from Puerto Viejo and drive across the border all the way to the ferry in Panama. A ferry will be waiting to whisk everyone to Bocas Town on Isla Colon. This shuttle includes the ferry ticket so you are guaranteed a seat on the boat and won’t have a long wait for the next ferry. The shuttle will save at least an hour, maybe two, over taking public transportation. It’s the easy, fast, secure, comfortable way to go. It will only cost a couple dollars more than doing it with public transportation. And it will be fun with a van load of friends. Crack a beer if you want, and relax! This shuttle returns at the end of the trip, as well. There is limited space so reserve early. $20 each way.
The band will be leaving Tuesday morning, September 2, and returning Friday morning, September 5. Depending on demand, there will be various departure times.
Over the next few days they will be developing a written itinerary. It will include the gigs, activities, parties, costs, suggested meeting points and times for meals, cocktails, etc., transportation times, etc. They will also be deciding on a hotel(s), and we will be able to help you with reservations. Of course the location of the band hotel will remain a secret so as to avoid the paparazzi and your basic panty-waving fanatics.
If you have questions, comments or suggestions, or would like to reserve a spot, please call your favorite bando:
Kristy: 8841-4007, Purejoy23@hotmail.com
Eric: 2750-0168, e@erichaller.com
Marc: 8864-3230, cdmastering@gmail.com
Liam: 8878-7577, liam@tropicaltales.co.cr
Jim: 8859-7511, e3r4t2000@yahoo.com
John: 8849-7600, JungleJamJohn@gmail.com
Aug
27
The Other Side of the News
Posted by Editor | August 27, 2008 | Tags: Tourism | Leave a Comment
One of the challenges of writing news anywhere is presenting a balanced view of the community when major stories are often negative — accidents, tragedies, crime, etc.
The controversy over the Tico Times article (see Violence Causes Spotlight to Fall on Puerto Viejo) has caused many to wonder out loud whether this is a balanced portrayal of our community.
I’ve spent the last few hours reading blogs written about visitors’ stays in Puerto Viejo that have been written in the last month — I’ve added links to them on the photos and blog page. And I have to say that a huge majority of visitors seem to have really enjoyed their visit to Puerto Viejo.
Some of the comments from bloggers:
I had an awesome weekend in Puerto Viejo de Limon. I completely fell in love with the place.
We spent most of our time in Costa Rica in a small, Caribbean coastal town called Puerto Viejo. This town is full of backpackers going to and from Bocas del Toro, Panama, and surfers attracted to the 8-foot waves and laid back atmosphere.
We decided to head to the Caribbean side (Puerto Viejo) of Costa Rica and let me tell you it is amazing!! The beach is so warm, there are wild horses just chilling by the ocean and everyone is very kind!
The beach was in a beautiful cove on the edge of the rain forest right out in the middle of nowhere and we had the beach nearly to ourselves with just one or two other families coming and going while we body surfed and floated on the waves. It was such a relaxing day and I was so lucky to be there with 3 very chilled, relaxed and easy going girls who were all just ready to go with the flow, accept that the weather was bad but enjoy it anyway!
I’m staying right across the road from the beautiful beach in Playa Cocles I discovered on my jog the first day, which makes me a happy little camper (though, not literally camping…staying in a dorm room…that I have all to myself as of now! What a score!) Spent the afternoon on the beach, soaking in the sun and recovering my tan that was stolen by the chilly weather in Xela, Guatemala. Watched the AWESOME surfers rip it up on the huge waves that kept rolling in.
So why even go? We all know the answer to that: it’s the beach, and the sun, and the forest, and the monkeys, and the air. I could never breath enough of that fresh oxygen and plants and life growing on every tree and gate and wire and road. It’s incredible. Days on the sand, the kids would loose themselves in play and imagination and sticks and rocks. We lived very much in the NOW; the beach is all about the NOW.
Even those bloggers who didn’t have a 100% great time were pragmatic about their criticisms. Like:
Petty theft is a problem at the beach. Keeping a guard up is just wise. There’s a lot of drug use. It comes with the territory. We were robbed once because someone staying in our guest room on the bottom floor didn’t shut the little wooden shutter at night. Though the guests lost cameras, phones, and clothes, thankfully no one was hurt. But common sense goes a long, long way at the beach.
Can I be honest? I’ve spent the past week or so desperately looking forward to going home. Paradise has felt especially un-paradise-like lately. Nothing has really changed or happened to make me feel this way. It’s just the cumulative effect of a lot of factors that have been in place the whole time. I don’t regret that we’re here. But it’s not paradise. It’s hard, fun, interesting, different, expanding, exhausting, educational… And itchy.
In my experience, people feel motivated to write about their experiences either when they’ve had a great experience or a really bad one (not so much when it was just average) so these entries should encourage us that despite the frustrations resident sometimes feel, the average visitor is having a good time and wants to come back for more!
The latest reviews of area hotels on TripAdvisor bear this out too — most are positive about the service they’ve received and their experience in town. In many places I’ve traveled to I’ve used Tripadvisor only to not know where to stay since it seems like the vast majority of reviews were negative.
So before we get too down with the frustrations of life here, let’s remember to give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done for most of the visitors and hope that we can continue and improve even more!
Aug
26
Violence Causes Spotlight to Fall on Puerto Viejo
Posted by Editor | August 26, 2008 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | Leave a Comment
 Self-proclaimed hitman, Gordo Malo. Photo by Nick Wilkinson courtesy of Tico Times |
Continued violent crime in our community has caused even more negative media attention, and has the community talking about a provocative news article published in Costa Rica’s English language weekly, The Tico Times.
The latest incident claimed two persons in a fight which turned deadly on Aug 15 at Stanford’s Restaurant when the combatants started firing (see La Nación: Dos rivales fallecen en un intercambio de balas en bar). This event, like most of the dramatic headline crime events, involved criminal gang members fighting it out for control.
But the continued violent crime has also got local residents and tourists worried. Not least because of the still unresolved case of the rapist who was victimizing female tourists on Playa Chiquita. While there have been no more of those events reported recently, there have been no arrests made either. Community leaders have called for the suspect to be held under preventative detention while the matter is investigated but to no avail. The suspect has apparently been under closer supervision from his family instead which may account for no more incidents.
The Tico Times featured Puerto Viejo in this week’s issue as their top story. The story, entitled Fear and Loathing in Puerto Viejo (original article here or archived here), has the community talking, not the least because the article accused local real estate agent Manuel Pinto of considering hiring a hit man, after his family was assaulted, a charge Pinto vehemently denies. “[The statement has] been completely taken out of context and is absolutely and unconditionally false,” says Pinto. He continues that “Despite our deep and extreme frustrations (the important theme of the article) with the legal system that has all but ignored us and in many cases aggravated our situations, we continue to use all legal options and avenues to resolve the threats made against us. This is a long and painful process – but one we are committed to and are fully engaged into.” You can read his full response here.
The article then goes on to interview a local self-proclaimed hit man Magno Enrique Beñavides, known as Gordo Malo, for his opinion on the violence.
Hopefully all the talk and attention on the situation will actually result in some substantive changes to the way the police and justice system operate.
Aug
15
20 Years of Stash’s Art
Posted by Editor | August 15, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar | 1 Comment
| August 20, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Local celeb Stash, great cook and great artist, is presenting a retrospective of 20 years of his art. The show is Wednesday Aug 20 at 7pm at the Tree House Lodge.
Aug
11
#1 on Google!
Posted by Editor | August 11, 2008 | Tags: Site news | 5 Comments
July was a great month for Puerto Viejo Satellite — not only did we hit a record for number of visitors, surpassing 10,000 visitors in one month for the first time, and a record number of page views, over 22,000, but we are now #1 when you search for Puerto Viejo on Google.
Of course, you’ve known we’ve been the most comprehensive and up to date site for Puerto Viejo for a long time but Google just took a little while to catch up.
If your business still isn’t listed on the Puerto Viejo Satellite map, you’re missing a lot of potential customers. You can add it in a few minutes on the List Business page.
If you’re already listed, you can upgrade your listing to include a weblink to your website for just $75 a year. You can upgrade here. Upgraded listings not only get a weblink to their site but have lots of other benefits.
Aug
9
Recycle Clean Plastic Grocery Store Bags at ATEC
Posted by Editor | August 9, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Environment | Leave a Comment
ATEC will now accept clean plastic grocery bags for recycling at their office. Look for the box near the entry.
They will be used by a women’s group that weaves them into handbags and other products for sale and then further support of their activities.
Bags that look like this:
Will be transformed into this:
The finished product can also be purchased at ATEC.
Thanks to Greencoast News for the heads up.
Aug
7
Getting to Puerto Viejo will be more Expensive
Posted by Editor | August 7, 2008 | Tags: Tourism, Transport | Leave a Comment
The regulator has approved bus rate increases on long distance bus routes effective in one week.
The rates will increase as follows:
| Route | Old Price | New Price | Approx in US$ |
| San Jose - Limon | 2,180 col | 2,460 col | $4.50 |
| San Jose - Cahuita | 3,455 col | 3,900 col | $7.10 |
| San Jose - Puerto Viejo | 4,020 col | 4,535 col | $8.30 |
The schedules will remain the same.
Interbus and Grayline have also announced rate increases effective Dec 1st, 2008. The rate for hotel-to-hotel San Jose to Puerto Viejo area will go from $35 to $39. The rate from Puerto Viejo to La Fortuna/Arenal will increase from $45 to $49. Schedules and the booking form for the shuttles can be found on the transportation page or you can go directly to the booking form here to search routes, schedules and prices nationally.
Finally, prices for private transport between the Caribbean and San Jose will also be going up. The best price we have been able to obtain for our clients between Puerto Viejo and San Jose is going up from $160 to $190 effective November 30th. This is for a 10 passenger van which can accomodate up to 8 people comfortably with luggage. This service is popular with people who want to maximize their vacation on the coast as the driver will meet their flight at the international airport and bring them straight to their Puerto Viejo hotel or vacation rental house so it’s still a bargain considering the option is often losing a day of your vacation waiting in San Jose for the next day’s bus or shuttle. The booking form where you can search rates nationally for this service and make a reservation is here.
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